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Kurt
Unregistered
4/30/2001
20:28:24
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 Subject: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Can anyone confirm/correct wheel dimensions below: Stock 16x8/4.5 backspacing. R/T wheels 17x9/5.0 backspacing? Will 18x8.5/4.5 backspacing fit? I'm planning a Chassis Tech 2/4 drop or Chassis Tech 2" contol arm in the front with a someone elses 3" spring in the back. I want to maintain the ride quality and I'm not crazy about the rear hanger mods on the back. Any thoughts?
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
4/30/2001
21:19:20
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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do you have the R/T fender flares? if you want to drop the rear 4" you are going to need more than a hanger. a hanger and shackle will work great together. why dont you want to change the rear hangers?
Eric 98 dropped on 20s
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Tincup
Gen III
4/30/2001
21:35:47
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
Kurt,
The factory 16x8 wheels have 5.5" backspacing (they are actually 9" wide, you have to measure to the outer lip). The R/T wheels have to have at least 5.5" of backspacing, probably more like 6", I can let you know in about a week when my wheels come in. If you buy the 18x8.5 (actually 18x9.5)I would get at least a 5.5" backspacing.
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
4/30/2001
22:24:58
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
my 17" budniks are 8" wide with 5.75" of backspace, and they come even with the wheelwell
my 20" colorado custom's have 6.25" of backspace and are tucked in the well 1/2" I think they look a lot better, expecially if your going to lower it. I would sugest to go with 6.75" of backspace on a 8.5" wheel. billet specialties also recomends this backspacing. (this is if you dont have the R/T wheel flares)
Eric 98 dropped on 20s
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Kurt
Unregistered
5/01/2001
11:16:24
|  RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Tincup and Kota on 20s,
Thanks for your response. I do have the flares. The wheels I ordered are 18x8.5 Pacer Chrome 159Cs with 255/55/18s. They are either 4.5 or 5.5 BS. I'll call the shop today and verify. Pacer list this as a fit for the Dakota.
Kota on 20s,
I'd like to chat with more about your lowering experience. The Chassis Tech (CT) 2/4 kit looks to be the best. I was concerned about the 4" shackles and hangers because the mod is invasive. Is it easily reversed? I liked the idea of changing the rear leafs to either AIM's or Hotchkis's 3" leafs eventhough concerned about $$$ w/Hotchkis and quality w/AIM (bad reputation). My goal is a stock gentle ride, mild drop, no-rubbing, good-mileage commuting, kid-carrying, weekend-home-project truck. Thus 18s with a 2/4 drop or a 2/3 drop. How did you lower your truck? If you did hanger/shackles, how did you remove the rivits? any rubbing? what tire and wheel exactly? Your thoughts? Thx...Kurt
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MacNCheese
Unregistered
5/01/2001
13:03:03
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
3/5 Drop in my quadcab. AIM. No complaints other then the crappy ride. I never changed the shocks. Hopefully that will make a vast improvement. Im still rollin on the stock 15s till the 20s are available in our wheel pattern. The stock swaybar is rubbing the inside lip of my wheels at full turn.
--
Cheese
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Kurt
GenIII
5/01/2001
14:05:13
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
Thx cheese. How did you get the rivits off the rear stock hangers? I know someone who likes the ride of his DJM 3/5 drop from godfathercustoms.com. I'm leaning to a 2/4 from Chassis Tech using stock springs to preserve the ride. Thx...Kurt
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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MacnCheese
Unregistered
5/01/2001
14:38:43
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
Didnt do a hanger drop but you simply drill the rivets out, I would imagine? Start with a small drill and get progressively larger. I have the AIM drop which is springs in the front and springs in the rear. Didnt think the hotchkis was worth the money. Got the springs for $150 and got some handmedown R/T swaybars from a friend who just installed hotchkis in her R/T. My ride is bad because its so low. I only have about 1.5" of travel in the rear. Maybe its time for a cnotch? Might as well airbag it then, huh? Boy, my wallet is getting is thin.
--
Cheese
BTW, Ground Force now offers a spring drop as well.
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
5/01/2001
21:02:00
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
kurt, i have a 4/6 drop kit from western chassis. I have a 2" control arm and 2" spring in the front and 2" shackle with a 4" block in the rear. I also have dolshtech shocks all the way around. I have a 3" lowering hanger but i have not installed it yet, because im going to use a plazma cutter on the rivets and have not in the mood to drop the gas tank yet.
to remove the rivets on the hanger you could use a grinder or air chizle to break off the heads and drill out the rest, but iv heard its an all day project. use a plazma cutter, or take it to a shop. the afermarket hanger comes with bolts to blot it to the frame, so if you want to go back to stock you can just bolt on the stock hanger.
The rims I have are 20x8" colorado customs with a 255/35ZR20 michelin pilot XGT-Z4 tire. the tire rubbs a little in the front when i go over some bumbs but not that bad. you 18s should be fine. The truck rides a little rough, but thats because of the short sidewall of the tire. if i put a smaller rim with a bigger tire (like what your going to do) it would ride like stock with WAY BETTER handeling. Im verry impressed with the kit.
as far as hotchkis leafsprings, they might ride a little better than stock, but I dont think they have the same load capacity as stock. (not 100% sure on this)
I hope I helped you a little, if i was not clear on something let me know ill try to help as much as i can
Eric 98 sport dropped on 20s
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Kurt
GenIII
5/02/2001
11:01:34
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
Eric, thx for all the detail. "Experience is the best teacher." It sounds like your lowering/wheel combination is far more agressive than the solution I've picked. I bet is looks great. You should try to post some pictures on this site.
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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MacNCheese
Unregistered
5/02/2001
11:07:26
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
The Hotchkis springs have a full overload leaf and retain full towing capabilities. My AIM leafs do not. Altough I'd feel much better towing or carrying a large load with my leaf spring drop then a 4" block! Thats pretty unsafe.
--
Cheese
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Kurt
GenIII
5/02/2001
11:20:34
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
Cheese, I talked to Hotchkis. They claim their rear spring will ride stock or close to it on the quadcabs, but firm on clubcabs or stdcabs. The word on the street is hotchkis stuff rides real firm and is for people with lots of $$$ looking for corvette handling out of the their truck. It's expensive good quality kit for those whoose priority is superior handling.
The full overleaf makes it interesting, huh? After all, we have trucks to carry things.
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
5/02/2001
12:24:10
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
macNcheese, having a v8 with a 5 speed, I was woried about having a 4" block not only for hauling things, but I thought it would break under hard exceration. Well it's been over two years now and with all the street races, and loads i have carried i have not had a single problem yet. I have a lowering hanger in my garage that i have not installed yet because I beleve in the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I would MUCH rather have a 4" block than a leafspring that makes my truck ride like crap.
kurt, no matter what you do to your truck, you will still get looks because not many people fix them up. a 2/4 with 18s will look good, ride good, and handle, real good. i think you will like it. let me know.
Eric 98 on 20s
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
5/02/2001
14:46:22
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
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Message:
macncheese, i have read your post again. what do you mean you are waiting until 20s are available in our lug pattern? they have been out for years!!! I have seen 4-5 dakotas including mine that have 20s on them. you will probably have to order them with the 6 on 4.5 lug pattern (but you will have to have to do that anyway because of the high positive offset the dakota'a requier) but you can still get them. hell 22s are even avalible.
Eric 98 dropped on 20s
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Kurt
GenIII
5/02/2001
15:02:00
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Eric, thx for the encouragement. I've got finish working through this backspacing issue. I'm going to cancel the wheels if they're not at least 5.5 inches. They might be 4.5. I just don't want to create problems. Last time I caught this bug, I turned my '88 vette into a 12 second slot-car..... alot of fun, but hell to live with!
(notice I got the V6, just to make sure I didn't sick; I'm a recovering V8aholic.....letting me feel that torque is like giving me a first drink! Luckily I had friends there at the Dodge dealer helping me look past that juicy 4.7. Good raw material for viscious normally aspirated engine)
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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macncheese
Unregistered
5/02/2001
15:16:44
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Eric,
I know that wheels in general are available but the wheels I want arent available in our lug pattern yet. Few more weeks!
--
Cheese
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kota on 20s
Unregistered
5/02/2001
16:29:37
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
cheese, what kind of wheels are you getting?
Eric
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Tincup
Gen III
5/02/2001
20:28:11
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Kurt,
I just finished lowering my 01 QC with the Hotchkis kit. I know it was a little on the expensive side (you could save $500 if you don't get the sway bars) but after dropping 20k+ on the truck, what's another 1k. The truck came down 2.5 in front, and 3.5 in back. The ride is stiffer, but not harsh. I get a slight tire rub in the front in those big dips in the highway with the stock 255/65/16's, not sure what it is going to do when I put on the R/T wheels.
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Cheese
Unregistered
5/03/2001
02:00:17
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Tincup,
Did you have an alignment done? If you have the truck aligned to the hotchkis specs you wont rub. Well, the 2 R/Ts we installed hotckis in didnt rub. Not sure if the additional weight will effect it but I doubt it.
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Kurt
GenIII
5/03/2001
10:40:03
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Tincup, What exactly did you install from Hotchkiss? The 2" drop frt spring and 3" drp rear leaf, frt & rear sway bars, and Hotchkiss/bilstien shocks? Also in an earilier message you said the back spacing on the stock 16x8s is 5.5; did you measure that? and did you measure the 9" lip to lip? I'm having a hard time relying on the wheel guy I ordered my wheels from for accurate measurements, but I've got to pin him down. I'm also real curious about accurate measurements on the R/T wheels. How's the rear spring feel specifically. I'm thinking about using it with Chassis Tech 2"drop control arms in the front.
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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Tincup
Gen III
5/04/2001
09:02:48
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Kurt,
I installed the 2"front coils, 3"rear leafs, both sway bars, and the front Bilsteins(the rears are still on back order). I did take off one of the factory wheels and measure it, so I know that number is right. I still haven't recieved my R/T wheels, but I will measure them when they come in.
The rear springs are definately stiffer, but not hard. I think once I get the rear Bilsteins in, it will be better.
Cheese,
I was trying to avoid using the performance alignment, because I heard it really eats up tires. I am not planning on doing any street racing, I just wanted better looks, and better handeling
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Cheese
Unregistered
5/04/2001
09:20:41
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Using the highly sophisticated technique of laying a ruler across the wheel and measuring the distance from it to the bolting surface, the factory R/T wheel has exactly 6" of backspacing. I knew keeping the busted up rim would come in handy someday!
--
Cheese
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Kurt
GenIII
5/04/2001
11:00:58
| RE: help, lowering '01 quadcab,2W,V6 with 18/8.5s
IP: Logged
Message:
Cheese, Tincup and Eric,
Thanks for measuring the RT wheels and stock wheels for me. I'm going to see my wheel guy today or tomorrow, and now I feel armed w/the facts I need to evaluate my order. I think 6"BS is the max for 16,17 and maybe 18s because of clearance w/ the upper control arm. However 20s are large enough to get over this clearance issue and that's the reason why 20s can have 6.75"BS. You guys have been extremely helpful and I really appreciate your help! Once I get my wheels, I'm going to make my lowering decisions.
'01quadcab,2W,V6, flowmaster, 18/8.5s and 2/4 drop soon
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